Toe-cap



Patented ug. 24, 1937 PATENT oFFlcE TOE-CAP George Andrew Binder,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Robert Malcom, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 8, 1935, Serial No. 44,095

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a protecting cap for footwear, and particularlyto one for boots and shoes of the heavier grade such as worn by workmenwhose feet are liable to strike against ma- 5 chinery, castings, rock,etc.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide such a cap that easilymay be attached to footwear without extension of metal parts under thesole and that thus leaves the sole flexible and 1o with its naturalnon-slipping tendency, that without extending over or along the edge ofthe sole affords protection thereto, that entirely covers the vamp orfront part of the upper and thus protects it, that is of strong andwear-resistant 15 reenforced sheet metal capable of withstanding hardusage, and that can be attached easily to footwear by fasteners drivenin from the top,

The characteristics of the invention are apparent in the accompanyingdrawing, vforming part hereof, wherein an adaptation for use on bootsand shoes is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views ofthe drawing, of which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the cap on ashoe;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

The cap is of a single piece of sheet metal stamped or otherwise formedand shaped to proo vide a cover part 4 conforming substantially to,

and extending over the vamp or front part of the upper A of footwear.

Along its base or lower edge the cap has an inwardly-disposed flange 5arranged to seat on the 35 top of the sole B and to extend under thebulge C of the vamp or front part of the upper to nearly the place wherethe upper is connected to the sole,

as at stitches D,

The wall of the cover part is struck inwardly 40 on the sides just abovethe flange to afford recesses or ndentations 6 to permit screws or otherfasteners 'l to be driven downwardly through holes in the flanges intothe sole to attach the cap thereto and to accommodate the heads of thefas- 45 teners.

The cover-all is reenforced by substantially vertical ribs 8 on thesides between the front recesses E5 and the front of the cover, and witha substantially vertical rib 9 on each side between the two 50 recesses.The ribs 8 and 9 extend upwardly in the sides of the cover-wall fromplaces slightly above the flange and into the crown of the cover. Asubstantially vertical rib l in each side of the wall is positionedbetween the rear end 55 of the wall and the rear recess. The ribs are(Cl.l 36-72) formed by pressing the sheet-metal wall outward 1y. Theyare positioned adjacent to the recesses 6 to strengthen the wall nearthose struck-in places, as well as to afford reenforcement generally tothe cover part of the cap.

The rear edge of the cover-wall across the top is rolled over as arounded reenforcing rib Il, the ends of that rib being near the upperends of the ribs I0, whereby a practically continuous reenforcement ofthe rear end of the cap from the base on one side to the base on theother is afforded. The rib l I not only functions as a reenforcement,but it also presents a rounded edge that will not cut into or wear thetop of the upper during flexure thereof in walking.

The cap is put on a toe part of a boot, shoe, or like by slippingthereon rearwardly, with the flange on top of the sole and under thebulge of the upper, until movement is stopped by contact of the front ofthe cap with the front of the article of footwear. Screws or nails thenare driven through holes in the flange at the recesses, whereby the capis held in place. Although the fasteners are in the sides only, thedisposition of the flange under the bulge of the upper keeps the capdown on the sole entirely around the base of the cap.

The flange is of substantially the same width as that of the uppersurface of the sole between its edge and the line where the upper meetsthe sole in boots, shoes, and the like of the type for which the cap ismade and to which it conforms. Therefore, when the flange is under thebulge of the upper just above the sole, the base part of the wall of thecap is usn with the edge of the sole entirely around the front partthereof. Thus, when the cap side or toe swipes an object liable to wearor injure the shoe or other footwear, the edge of the sole is protectedtherefrom. The cover-wall itself and its reenforcing-ribs protect theupper from the wear and injury of contact with objects the footwear mayencounter.

The size and curvature of the cover wall at the sides, front, and overthe upper are somewhat greater than the upper under the cap in the formthe upper normally assumes when the footwear is empty, so that when thefootwear is put on a foot the upper may conform to the shape of thefront part of the foot and the foot is not bound uncomfortably by thecap. In other words, the cap preferably is somewhat larger than the vampor front part of the upper.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A sheet-metal toe-cap comprising an arcuate cover-Wall having at itsrear edge a rolled-over round transverse reenforcing-rib extendingacross the crown and terminating above the base of th'e article, aflange extending inwardly from and entirely around the base of the walladapted to rest on top of the sole of footwear outside of the upperthereof, said wall having inwardly-struck recesses in the base portionof the sides for accommodation of heads of fasteners driven through saidange into the sole, substantially vertical reenforcing-ribs on the sidesof said wall and extending into the crown thereof between and on eachside of some of said recesses, and substantially verticalreenforcing-ribs in the sides 0f said wall near its rear end and betweenthe ends of said transverse rib and the base of said wall,

GEORGE ANDREW BINDER.

